Report: Wie to Steer Clear of PGA Tour in 2008

by Mulligan Stu on Dec 20, 2007 11:28 AM EST

The Telegraph newspaper in London is reporting that Michelle Wie's 2008 will not include any appearances on the PGA Tour - although she may play one men's tournament on another tour.

The Telegraph implies this change of strategy originated with Wie herself:

Wie, 18, has explained her change of tack to her coach, David Leadbetter, during lessons at his Florida academy this week.

If so, it's a welcome sign of maturity and clear-headed thinking. (I have no objection to any woman attempting to play with the men, but believe in Wie's case it's been strongly counterproductive at least since the second half of 2005.)

Leadbetter appears to be the source for reporter Lewine Mair, who quotes Lead:

As far as Leadbetter is concerned, she should not have been playing at all. "Michelle kept thinking that the injury was about to get better, but it never did," he explained. "She's full of the joys of spring and is back to full health. For the first time in 12 months, she is swinging well and feeling no pain."

The short article also notes that Wie cannot play the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2008 because there is no mechanism in the tournament rules by which to get her into the field. I explained why in a comment last October:

She's gotten into the Kraft on an exemption only once, in 2003. The Kraft has an exemption category for amateurs, and that's what they offered her in '03. Since then she's gotten in through qualification criteria, either by finishing Top 20 in the previous year's Kraft or by finishing Top 5 in one of the other majors.

In '07, of course, she didn't do any of that. And she's not an amateur anymore. And the Kraft's exemption criteria for pros specifies LPGA members.

The article also quotes an official with the Ladies Golf Union saying "we cannot make any guarantees" of a sponsor exemption for Wie into the Women's British Open, but then implying that she'll probably get one.

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Comments

the bar is open...

...she is "full of the joys of spring" ??? don't you just hate those people down in Florida ? It's friggin' cold in Atlanta and this is the south !! :-)

I love the line "Wie, 18, has explained her change of tack to her coach, David Leadbetter, during lessons at his Florida academy this week." Do you think Leadbetter leaves her coaching sessions with Wie with a confused look on his face ? Making Wie come across experienced and intelligent just seems to fall under the "you can't make a silk scarf from a sow's ear" catagory since Wie has done nothing in the past to demonstrate either quality. I mean, like y'know ?

Did Lewine Mair, the writer, just not know that the LPGA has an age restriction on Tour eligability ? Wie has not been offered a Tour card since she turned pro - and, to her credit, Wie hasn't asked for an exception to the age rule. I'm not sure what finishing a shot out of the lead at the Nabisco in 2006 has to do with anything.

I'll still keep my fingers crossed that Wie slows down and even backs up a couple of steps to take some pressure off of herself. She still has to learn how to win at any level past the Ladies Public Links five years ago.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Dec 20, 2007 2:35 PM EST reply actions